Expanded-metal fabric



EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

FILED MAY l0, |9191 INVENTOR /risma 7er/.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

l i fai NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT S. ALLYN, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPANDED-METAL FABRIC.

Continuation of application Serial No. 693,329, filed April 26, 1912. This application filed May 10, 1919.

- Serial No. 296,087.

To all whom. it 'nw/y concern.:

Be it known that I, NoRRIs ELMonF. CLARK,

a citizen ofthe United States of America` residing at Plainville, Connecticut, have in- Vented a new and useful Expanded-Metal Fabric, of which the following is a specifica tion. My invention relates particularly to a ribbed type of expanded metal intended particularly to provide a maximum reinforcement for a given weight of metal.

One of the principal objects is to provide a construction in which any of the ordinaryl types of expanded metal may be provided with ribs of different sizes and shapes depending upon the amount, character and disposition of reinforcement required. y

Fig. 1, is a cross sectional view of a fabric embodying certain of the improvements of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a perspective View of one of the ribs and a fragment of expanded metal.

Fig'. 3, is a perspective view o-f a fragment of rib showing a different method of attaching the expanded metal.

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary perspective view of another form of rib.

F ig. 5.` is a perspective view of a fragment of'expanded metal and a rib as .disclosed in my application #6937329, filedAp-ril 26th, 1912, now Patent No. 1,309,241. This application is a. continuation of the former as to this embodiment offthe invention.

Fig. G, is a cross sectional view of a rib showing another method of attaching the expanded metal.

Figs. 7 and 8 show ribs of different cross section.

The expanded meta1 10, as :above men- 40l tioned, may be of any suitable type so far as the broad invention is concerned. The ribs such as 11, 12 and 13 are preferably relatively high or dee-p in comparison to their Width and each is preferably provided with flanges or flaring edges 14 and preferably with lateral shoulders or flanges 15 at their upper edges so as to more securely anchor the ribs and prevent them from slipping in the concrete or cement. The tops or outer edges of these ribs may be additionally reinforced by additional members 16 at that part where it is most desirable that the fabric should have its vmaximum strength. This y feature is broadly claimed in the former application referred to and this application is a continuation of the former as to a structure having the externally reinforced rib as a` distinction from the internal reinforcement claimed specically in said former application. I y 60 The sides Iof the ribs may be welded together at intervals between their upper and lower edges as mentioned in my former application #121978. The Walls of the ribs may lbe prevented from separating relative to each other and the ribs themselves may be prevented from separating with relation to each otheixby a series of rods or tiefmembers such as 17 passing through holes 18 in the ribs. This constrilction is broadly claimed in my application #7759.

Where the ribs are spaced apart a con'- side-rable distance an additional rigidity may be given to the expanded section by the use of supporting members 19 connecting the expanded metal with the rods 17.

A backing 20 of paper or other fabrlc may be provided to pre-vent the cement from passing` through the expande-d metal 1n placmg the cement or concrete.

The ribs being separately formed it is possible to use different thicknesses of metal and different sizes and shapes ,fof ribs -With the same lath. or expanded metal section. These ribs may be secured to the expanded metal 85 in various ways for instance, by means of integral fingers such as 21 and 22 which are passed through the mesh of the expanded metal and bent around a strand of the expanded metal such as 23. Preferably the 90 fngersor tangs are arranged with their principal faces parallel to the general dlrectlon of the strands. Where the strands runy longitudinally as in 2, the tangs or fingers can be readily bent to grip the strands securely. Some or all of the'tangs may be cut from the sides of the ribs and bent outward leaving openings 24 which permit cement or concrete to pass through from one side to the other and thus completely Vanchor the ribs.

@ne of the marginal ribs such as 11 may be. left open at the top and provided with a flange 11a so as to interlock with the adjacent. marginal rib of another sheet of the fabric. In case the rib is at'the margin of the slab a supplementary separate rib v'25, like rib 13, may be employed to interlock with the marginal rib 11 and produce in co-njunction therewith substantially the same strength as any one of the other ribs. In this case one wall 26 of the rib 25 may be shorter than the other to avoid Waste of material. Rib 13 can interlock with a rib like 11 either separate or attached to another sheet of expanded metal.

At the right of Fig. 1, vI have shown the fabric embedded in a slab of cement or concrete such as 27. This shows the upper part of the lrib in its relatively proper place for affording a maximum development of the tensile strength of the metal in the concrete.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the flange of the rib is slitted at 28 and the tangs 29 bent over to embrace and.lock the strand of the expanded metal tothe flange of the rib.

leo

This ,is a form of construction particularly adapted to be assembled by automatic machine action.

In the rib shown in Fig. 4 the sides 30 flare outwardly end ,areprovided with tangs 21.

In the form sho-wn in Fig. 5 the. strands of the expanded metal 10 lextend transversely of the ribs which are securedin place by tangs or fingers 31.

In the form shown in Fig. 6 the edges of the expanded sections 10at and 10b are secured to the lower flanges of the rib by clips such as 32 which also tend toprevent the flanges from spreading.

In the form shown in Fig. 7 the rib is formed of two parts 33 and 34 secured together and to the meshwork'in any suitable way and provided with two rows of openings 35 and 36, the upper flanges have depending edges or shoulders 37 which a'ord especially secure anchora es in the concrete.

v In the form shown in ig. 8 the sides of the rib 38 which are integral with the meshworkare spaced apart and the external reinforc'ement is in the shape of a T-rail 39 secured on the top of the rib for instance by means of straps or-clips such as 40 arranged at suitable intervals.

The ribs of an of .the forms herein shown may be held7 together b-y cross rods as in Fig. 1. Any of them may have tangs such as shown in my application #7759 for securi a sheet of fabric or reinforcing rods to the apices of the ribs. 'I`he sides of the ribs of any of the double-Walled forms may be secured together by welding at intervals as set forth in my application #127 ,978.

The laterally projecting flanges or abrupt shoulders at the edges of the ribs give additional lateral stiffness so as to materially strengthen the ribs and prevent them from tipping over or'buckling.

I claim s- 1. A concrete re-enforcement comprising a mesh-Work sheet, flanged ribfmembers se cured to the edges thereof and a flanged rib member secured intermediate the edges, said rib members having l'shaped heads, the web of one'edge ribv member -being of single thickness and having a channel in its head open at one side to receive the head of an edge rib member of another sheet, the web of the other edge rib member being double through part of its depth and having a head of substantially the same size as said channel, the intermediate rib member having a double thickness web.

2.A A concrete re-enforcement comprising a mesh-work sheet, a rib member having a base flange secured to one edge of said sheet and having a single thickness web terminating in a head open at one side to form a channel adapted to receive t evhead of an edge rib member of another s eet and a rib member having. a base flange secured to the opposite edge of said sheet with a web which is double through part of its height, and a l'shaped head of substantially the same size as said channel.

3. A metallic reinforcing fabric comprising an expanded section and relatively deep and narrow ribs having flanges and openings in the sides of the ribs and fastening members partially cut therefrom `and securing saidl ribs to said expanded section, said ribs having laterally projecting shoulders along the edges spaced apart from the expanded metal.

4. A concrete re-enforcement comprising a mesh-work sheet, a rib member having base anges secured to said sheet, a double thickness web and a f-shaped head and an additional stilfening strip secured along the outside of said head with its edges embracing the edges of said head.

5. A reinforcing fabric comprising, an expanded section having the general direction of strands, longitudinal ribs having flanges' and laterally projecting shoulders and means for securing said ribs parallel to the general. direction of strands including tangs integral with said ribs between the flanges and the shoulders, leaving openings in the sides of the ribs.

6. A reinforcing fabric comprising, an expanded section having the general direction of strands, longitudinahrbs having Hanges and laterally projecting shoulders, and

means for securing said ribs parallel to the general direction of strands 'including aligularly disposed tangs bent from the margins of the flanges to embrace the adjacent strands of the expanded section. s

7 A concrete 11e-enforcement comprising an expanded mesh-Work sheet and rilos on the opposite edges thereof and intermediate the edges, each rib having a double T-shaped head With a base flange secured to the expanded mesh-Work sheet, the head of one edge rib having a channel to receive the head of an edge rib .of another sheet, and the head of the other edge rib being of substantally the same size as said channel, and an external re-enforcing strip on the head of the intermediate rib so as in conjunction therewith to provide substantially the same cross-section of metal as in the heads of the edge ribs when they are interloeked With the edge ribs of adjacent sheets. Y NLORRI'S ELMORE CLARK. 

